A major cultural shift that has changed the way we work has also changed the way we learn at work. Workplace learning is now social, mobile, micro and on-demand.
New, more collaborative trends are driving innovation in learning technology as organizations place a higher priority on the integration of talent management and on learning to increase engagement and retention.
Employees of all generations now want access to learning that is instant and customized to their individual needs. They desire the ability to trade ideas with co-workers and leverage the collective knowledge of their peers. HR technology vendors are meeting this demand by offering new, socially enabled learning systems that provide employees with the same features as their favorite social media platforms, such as the ability to create a profile and then post, share and “like” content.
As organizations change the way learning is delivered—and its frequency—employees now see learning as a daily development, and not a one-time event. Smaller and more frequent opportunities for desktop and mobile micro-learning have replaced week-long training programs, in many cases.
Learning is also a factor in engagement. Ellen Dubois du Bellay, formerly the senior vice president of learning and talent management at Four Seasons Hotels, says, “In our hotels where employee engagement scores are high, we correlate that with a higher number of training hours that happen in that hotel.” This type of correlation is important because it helps an organization justify its investment in learning products and the time that employees spend in training.
Personalize the learning experience for employees. In the past, workplace learning was designed to be one-size-fits-all, and at many organizations, it still is. However, learning should be based on employees’ specific needs. People learn—much like they use technology—in different ways. “Think about our lives outside of work,” says Workday’s Director of Learning Product Strategy James Cross. “The more personalized an experience is—through recommendations, for instance—the more engaging it is. Employees should feel like their learning system knows them just as well as Netflix does.” A well-designed learning system should leverage data to tailor learning for every employee’s learning style, preferences and goals.
Employers should invest in a learning system that employees actually want to use. Workplace learning shouldn’t feel like a chore or a box that has to be checked. With interactive virtual classrooms, video and gamification, it can be fun and engaging.
With all these new tools, employers can now create a culture of learning in their workplace and a digital experience that is integrated and collaborative.
How are you delivering learning at your organization, and what trends are driving your efforts to modernize the learning programs at your organization?
Please join @shrmnextchat at 3 p.m. ET on September 7 for #Nextchat with special guest @Workday Director of Learning Product Strategy James Cross @JamesRCross. We’ll chat about how an evolving workforce and an ever-changing business environment have impacted workplace learning and prompted a need for a more modern approach.
Q1. Which learning programs are most effective at your organization?
Q2. Where do current learning management systems typically fall short?
Q3. How has your organization changed the way it delivers learning in the past 5-10 years?
Q4. What has prompted the need for change with learning systems in recent years?
Q5. What feedback or requests have you received from employees about your learning systems?
Q6. How are social media and other technologies used to help employees have greater access to and more flexibility with learning?
Q7. What questions does HR need to ask/answer before selecting a learning management program or system for their organization?
Q8. What advice do you have for employers/HR regarding the establishment of an efficient and effective learning program?
If you missed this excellent #Nextchat, please click here for the RECAP post with all the tweets.
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